The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-07-29
Alfred krUpp.

The news o. the. OF the death Ot the
proprietor of thu great Krupp steel
works az Essen. Prussia, has just heen
cabled TO this coun ~. On July Il, at
his villa near Essen, Alfred kIupp
brearhed his last He has been aptly
classed with Bismarck and Mol;ke as
the third of GeImany's warriors, as his
cannon did such fearful execution in so
many battles for the fatheriamd.
Though it was in Alired's hands hat
the works attained their great msgnI-
tude, he was not their founder. His
father, FREDERICK Krupp, was born III
1877 and was proprietor OF small
hammer forge" driven by water pow
eT, and situated near tha present Essen.
In 1916 he moved 10 Essen, and on a
loca ity in the center of the present
works erected his modest shop. Here
he remained TO the day OF his death, exc
cutting "a variety of small work in steel.
The works were of the smallest scale.
The age of steel had hot yet come.
Four years before he moved To Essen.
his eldest son was born. On April %,
I 1912. Alfred Krupp first saw the light.
/ On October 26, 1926, his father died.
/ The works were placed in charge of
Alfred, who conducted them for his
/ mother Theresa. For many years his
1 Younger brother Hermann worked as q
workman in the forge. The growth Of
/ the business was very slow, aid long be-
/ fore il attained any size, the brother
Hermann left it and entered upon an
other line OF work. On February "a
1 1S4S, :he firm was given the name OF
.'Friederich krupp," in honor OF the
founder of the Essen works.
/ The growth of the works became
more rapid as steel was more widely
used. In 1851, Krupp was already in
the front ranks of the worlds steel pro-
ducers. He sent TO London wOrld's
fair OF that year a great block of steel,
/ the largest that up to that tins had
/ ever been produced. Agriculture! and
engineering appliances received most OF
I Krupp's attention until the manufac-
ture of steel cannon WAS undertaken by
I him. In the Paris exposition OF 1867 d
prize was awarded him for his cannon.
that four years later We're to be power
full factor in bringing about the cOnclu-
/ sion OF the Frauco-German war. He
was one OF the early advocates Of steel
guns and at an early period saw that
the successful breech- loading Cannon
was to be the gun of the future. The
size Of his pieces increased year 10y year.
{ He maintained y hot rivalry with Sill
. William Armstrong in the production
OF the largest and most powerful gun.
With the exception Of England and the
/ United States, almost ali OF the princi-
pal countries bought cannon at Essen.
The more peaceful branches of his bus
mess were not neglected, as massive stee
fOrgings o: all kinds of axles, crank
shafts, locomotive tires, and the like
We're and are made Ill vast quantity al
, Essen. In 1864, at the conclusion of
the Danish war, letters OF nobility were
offered him by the King Of Prussia, but
he refused them.
The works, and incidentally the town
of Essen, lad grown with unprecedented
rapidity. The economic triumphs ot
his life, in developing such an establish
ment, are perhaps the greatest, exceed
ing in their beneficial aspect his metall
urgical exploits. His fathers works, il
is said, began with two woIkmen. Iu
1850, l ,764 hands were in Alfred krupp':
employ. In 1870, 4, 1,0S4 men were on hi:
rolls. To day, including the works
blast furnaces, and mines, nearly 70,
600 workmen. representing with tholI
families, as il is computed about 66, O0C
souls, are maintained by the Essen
works and dependencies. The establish
ment is classified by sections l, tht
factory at Essen 2, three coal mines a.
Essen and BJchum ), nYe hundred
and forty seven iron mines IN Germany
t, several iron mines in Spain north o
Bilboa ), the blast furnaces, in 1SSj
eleven in number; 6, range for iria
OF artillery at Meppen ; Z, other smallel
ranges S, four steamers for marine
transport making eight sections intC
which the business is divided.
The management of the works is il
the hands of syndicate OF the owners
who consult with Friedrich Alfred
the only son of the late proprietor, as t,
the more practical details of the work
The town OF Essen now Dumber
nearly one hundred thousand inhabi
tants. Outside of the city limits a grea
portion of the employees have thei
homes. lodgings to the number OF fou
Thousand being owned by the firm
Scientific Anericdn